The Revenge of Hamish
Music of William McClelland

In 2003, Albany Records released The Revenge of Hamish, our recording of choral works by composer William McClelland. The album includes settings of texts by some of America’s finest poets and authors, including Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Wilbur, Mary Oliver, E.E. Cummings and Conrad Aiken.

Featured are two powerful extended ballads: The Revenge of Hamish by Sidney Lanier, and The Ballad of Don and Dan by Ian Frazier. Hamish is a chilling tale set in the highlands of Scotland which McClelland brings to life with Celtic fiddle, piano and bodhran and traditional jigs and reels. Don and Dan describes a bizarre kidnapping 25 years ago in the mountains of Montana with a text drawn from news items written in the Montana papers at the time. The chorus is accompanied by electric guitar, piano, bass and drums.

Other works include Five Sonnets for Men’s Voices, settings of Dante and John Bunyan, and a hymn entitled Collect Pond, the first musical work ever written about the activity of Bag Snagging, the removal of plastic bags from trees.

McClelland’s sensitivity to the singing voice and the rhythm and beauty of the written word draws the listener into the unique world of each piece.

William McClelland grew up near Goodison, Michigan, and now lives outside New York City. His works have been commissioned and presented by ensembles and organizations throughout the US and internationally. He has collaborated on a series of projects with the artists Komar & Melamid and several works with writer Ian Frazier. As a performer he has premiered works by composers including John Cage, Carl Ruggles and David Patterson, and has produced recordings on the Albany and New World labels. For more information, please click here.

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